Six Ways To Break Out Of Your Breakfast Rut

Same swiftly-consumed bowl of porridge every weekday, same lovingly-crafted poached eggs on avocado toast every weekend. Sound familiar? We all have our go-to breakfasts, but it’s too easy to fall into a serious rut where the first meal of the day is concerned, regardless of how much time we have to prepare it. But with a bit of imagination and just a few key ingredients in your kitchen, you can shake up your routine with minimal hassle. These are our six favourites…

1) Make a granola cocktail

A bowl of crunchy granola is a satisfying way to start the day, but the same granola every day can get really dull, really quickly. Keep your cupboard stocked with a range of flavoured granolas and cereals, then mix them differently each morning with milk or yoghurt and some extra fruit, nuts and seeds. No time, effort or recipes required, just throw whatever you fancy each morning into the bowl and enjoy it!

2) Freeze a batch of pancakes

Who has time to make pancakes on a weekday morning? Make a batch whenever you do have time, then simply place a sheet of grease proof paper between each pancake, wrap them together in a freezer bag and put them in the freezer. They freeze beautifully and are easy to reheat — simply pop a couple in the microwave or in the toaster, then serve with your favourite toppings. You’ll wonder why you haven't been doing this for years! Unless you have. In which case, you are living your best life. Well done.

3) Experiment with savoury porridge (or savoury overnight oats)

Porridge doesn't have to be sweet — there are countless recipes for savoury porridge or overnight oats for you to try. But if you’re sceptical, start with something simple. Cook your porridge oats in beef or vegetable stock, or bone broth, then mix with spinach leaves, fried mushrooms and serve with a fried egg on top. Once you’re hooked, you’ll want to keep experimenting!

4) Try a new nut butter

If you’re completely wedded to a morning routine of peanut butter on toast, or peanut butter in a protein-packed smoothie, keeping a range of nut butters in your cupboard is an easy win for a touch of variety each morning. Cashew, almond, hazelnut, macadamia — if it’s a nut, someone, somewhere has turned it into a butter, and each one will add new flavours and textures to your morning staple.

5) Spice up your eggs

Spicy food might not always be the first thing you think of for a typical breakfast, but hot sauce and eggs are a match made in food heaven. Keeping a small selection of different hot sauces in your fridge (chilli, chipotle, peri peri, habanero, spicy ajvar, to name but a few) you can transform basic poached eggs on toast into a completely different taste experience time and time again. Plus, eating spicy food releases endorphins, so a touch of hot sauce can serve as a nice little pick-me-up on an otherwise dreary morning.

6) Always keep your on-the-go options well stocked

Some mornings are just too busy to give breakfast the attention it deserves, and it isn’t always possible to plan ahead and make something the night before. So it’s always a good idea to keep your cupboards stocked with a good selection of high quality, natural energy bars and even on-the-go granola or porridge pots so you don’t have to rely on the supermarket options, which are often full of refined sugar.